Born In A Bikini
by Dan Sickles
Summary: This is my first AU Tudors story! Princess Mary Tudor is a modern teen with the two major problems - she misses her mother, and she hates her father's new trophy wife, Jane Seymour. But there's a lot more to Jane than meets the eye! Rated T for underage drinking and some mild language.
1. Chapter 1

BORN IN A BIKINI

 _This is my first AU Tudors story! The setting is quite modern but proud young Princess Mary and caring Jane Seymour are their true selves in just about every way. Please comment nicely!_

"You know the kind my father goes for," Mary Tudor said, making a sour face as she gazed out the window at the royal swimming pool. The woman lying beside the pool looked right at home, her golden head resting on a dark blue cushion and her long tanned legs sticking out a mile against the smooth white background of the reclining deck chair. "This one was probably born in a bikini!"

"Don't be too quick to judge Jane Seymour." The Spanish ambassador gave Mary a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "They say the young queen has already started a campaign to improve the morals of the royal court. Too many young people are drinking in the royal gardens after dark, lords and ladies and even some of the servants."

"Huh!" Princess Mary turned away from the window and went back to her desk. The school year was over, but the kindly ambassador was helping her improve her Latin for next term. Mary wanted to study hard and make her father proud. She didn't care about dressing up and going out with other kids. Not at all!

"How would you like to accompany me to the charity fashion show this evening, Princess Mary?" Jane Seymour was smiling like a fashion model in a television commercial for ultra-sexy toothpaste.

"Sorry, I have a headache." Mary hated the way slim, sporty Jane just popped into her bedroom, looking so alive and glamorous. Mary felt pale and dumpy by comparison. And she really did have a headache. After finishing her homework she'd put on an old CD of Spanish classical guitar and cried herself to sleep on the bed. She always cried when she thought about Katherine of Aragon.

"Oh! Well I'm sorry I woke you. We'll do something together another time, I'm sure." The pretty young queen sounded so embarrassed that for a moment Mary almost felt sorry for her. Jane turned to go, but then without looking at Mary she stopped for a moment with her slim fingers resting lightly on the doorknob. "Sometimes when I'm sad I like to be with other people. Sometimes it feels good to talk about those feelings."

"Humph!" Mary threw herself down on the bed and buried her face in the pillow. The sexy click-clack of Jane's high heels soon faded. But even with her eyes shut Mary could see the slim blonde walking down the hall. She saw Jane climbing into a limousine, riding off to the fashion show in the same jewels Mary's mother used to wear. Maybe she was alone. Or maybe Mary's father was with her, looking pleased at all the cameras snapping pictures of the two of them, pleased at everything Jane wore and everything she said or did. Looking pleased that good Queen Katherine was no longer part of the picture . . .

Mary jumped up from the bed, feeling like she had to get out of her room or go out of her mind. She only had on ripped jeans and a halter top, but so what? Mary wasn't going to any fashion shows. She just wanted to get away and be bad for a change.

"You know what I'd like to do? I'd like get Queen Jane good!" The drunken gardener's son picked up an empty beer can and threw it at a nearby tree. He missed and the kids all laughed.

"That's not a good idea." It was after midnight. Princess Mary felt tired right down to her toes and dizzy from drinking so much beer. But she wouldn't allow disrespect to the royal family. Not that she was ashamed of getting friendly with the servants who tended the grounds. They were crude, and the boys drank far too much, but at least they weren't all fake and glamorous. They remembered the way things used to be, when Katherine of Aragon was queen.

Suddenly there was a blinding glare from the headlights of a fancy limousine. Mary and her friends were lying around on some big rocks by the side of the road, drinking beer from cans and throwing the empties around. Dazed by the bright light, Mary froze where she was, even though the other kids were already ducking out of sight behind the rocks and bushes that lined the drive. As the long limousine glided past Mary saw a glamorous goddess in diamonds and furs looking right at her. Jane saw her too.

The next morning, Mary got a summons to appear before her royal father. There was no-one around as she walked towards her father's study, her knees shaky and her head still aching from the night before. Jane Seymour would have told on her, of course. The new queen would be anxious to get rid of her, to make way for children of her own. Mary knew she was going to die alone, far from the royal palace, just like her mother. But she was still Katherine's daughter. She walked slowly, with her head up high.

"Ah, there you are!" Her father's booming voice immediately made Mary's headache even worse. But the fat and selfish monster who had destroyed her mother was actually smiling. "I hear reports from all sides that your studies are going well. You are improving every day!" Henry VIII paused, to let the great honor of his praise sink in. And then he issued a command. "Still, I expect you to relax now and then. Too much gloom and solitude isn't good for a young woman! Do you understand me, girl?"

"Yes, father. I hope I can continue to please you." Mary was still afraid, but she couldn't hold back the question. "Did the queen enjoy last night's charity event? I heard it was a great success!"

"Jane never tells me anything," the king grumbled. "She was out so late I was asleep by the time that she got back. I would have gone with her, even though I can never stay awake at these boring charity events. But Jane says I need my rest, and it's best to obey the queen. After all, I'm not as young as I once was. But we've all got to grow up sometime! Do you understand me, girl?"

"Yes, father." Mary was so relieved she nearly sank to the floor. But when she got back to her room, sweet relief turned sour with shame and guilt. Proud Mary knew she had been a fool. But Jane, the poised and glamorous new queen, had seen her stumble and still kept her secret. Why did she do it?

Mary went over to the window, and looked down at the royal pool. Jane Seymour looked like a swimsuit model, her long legs sticking out a mile and her body looking flawless in the hot sun. Mary looked at her for a long time before she went and got her own bathing suit out of the closet.


	2. Spa Day

_Chapter Two: Spa Day_

"Sometimes I wish I could have told my mother how much I loved her. I mean, while she was still alive." Mary Tudor sighed deeply as she slid into the steaming warmth of the heated underground pool. Outside it was a chilly wet September day, which was why Mary's new stepmother had insisted on day of shopping in town, followed by a visit to a secluded and very luxurious day spa.

"Love like that is like a precious treasure," Jane Seymour told her, putting on what Mary thought of as her wise stepmother voice. "Someday you'll love again, and your feelings will be deeper and richer because you've known such sadness at a very tender age."

"Tender age my foot," Mary snorted, giving her slim blonde stepmother a look while the two of them soaked side by side. "You're only seven years older than I am!"

"Yes, sometimes I worry that I'm not really worthy to be the Queen of England." Jane didn't sound worried. She was relaxing, her eyes closed. "That's why I feel so grateful that your father has entrusted me with _his_ most precious treasure."

"Those jewels were really my mother's," Mary muttered, feeling sulky and resentful. Queen Jane always looked so sensational when she wore sparkling gems, even if it was mostly her kind blue eyes and her warm smile. "But I'm glad you're wearing them now instead of . . . instead of someone else." Even now that she was dead, Mary couldn't bring herself to say the name of Ann Boleyn.

"I didn't mean the jewels, darling." Jane's eyes were still closed, but she was smiling in a serene and rather mysterious way.

"Huh?" Mary didn't get that last bit. But it had been a long day, with a lot of bustle and excitement. Mary fell asleep with a frown on her face, still puzzling over her stepmother's mysterious smile.


	3. I Know

_Chapter Three: I Know_

Mary woke up alone, and for a moment she couldn't remember where she was. The room was dark, and the night air was cool on her bare shoulders. When she lifted her head from the pillow Mary heard low voices in the corridor outside.

"Jane?" Mary poked her head out into the dark hallway, but the exclusive day spa seemed nearly deserted. At the end of the corridor she thought she saw two figures, a young man and a young woman. The young woman almost seemed to be pleading, her hands raised in a beseeching way that signaled submission. But the young man's body language was arrogant and relaxed. He seemed to enjoy his mysterious hold over the helpless female.

"Hello Princess! Can I get you something? Are you thirsty?"

"Oh!" Mary was nearly frightened out of her wits. When the hand clamped down on her shoulder she thought it might be a murderer or a kidnapper or something. But when she whirled around she saw that it was only a boy about her age. He was slim and dark and very handsome, dressed in the uniform of a spa attendant.

"I am so sorry," he said, with a little bow. "My name is Jamal Khan, and my father is the owner if this spa and a number of others around the world. He is having me stay in London to learn the business. I was checking all the rooms before closing time. I am learning our entire business from the ground up, you see."

"Yes, I see," Mary said, giving young Jamal a polite nod. "But I am looking for my stepmother, the queen. Have you seen her?"

"I have been sent to bring you to her," Jamal Khan said, beaming. "My father and your stepmother were very good friends long before she married the king."

Mary frowned as she followed the young man up the stairs. She had gotten dressed very quickly in the dark, and felt like a total mess. Jamil Khan seemed very confident and utterly relaxed about being a servant and wearing a uniform. His father probably had great hopes for him. Mary wondered what her father's hopes were for her. And she wondered if Jane had hopes for her too.

"Well, hello Sleeping Beauty!" Queen Jane was all smiles as she greeted Mary from a corner table in a very posh sort of café on the top floor of the fancy spa. The beautiful blonde was seated with a much older Indian gentleman who looked a bit like Jamal, but fat instead of skinny and with plump soft hands and lots of rings.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Mary," the older man said, rising from his chair and bowing as he kissed her hand. "We would be most honored if you would join us for a drink."

"Mr. Sunil Khan and his family are Muslims," Queen Jane put in. "They don't drink alcohol. It's all right, darling."

"Oh, I see." Mary blushed as she sat down at the table. Jane had caught her drinking too much in the royal park with some of the palace servants only a few days ago. The king had never found out because Jane had kept quiet and protected her.

"So tell us what you think about the day spa," Jane said, smiling. "Do you think it'll catch on? Do you think it's a good investment?"

"I enjoyed the soothing spa treatments very much," Mary said, a bit puzzled as to why Jane wanted her opinion on a business matter. "Father always says it's important to know when to relax."

"That must be why he married me," Jane said, making a silly face. "I'm always ready to relax!"

Everyone laughed, but as she sipped her drink Mary sensed that her beautiful stepmother was worried about something.

Jane was leaning back in her chair and telling funny stories about her modeling career, before she began dating King Henry. But she kept tapping her fingers against her glass, and fingering her diamond necklace, and looking over her shoulder each time a servant entered with more of the tall fruit-filled drinks. Jane was the only person drinking proper cocktails with alcohol in them, and she got quite silly. Mary knew her stepmother wanted to set a good example. Yet she seemed very nervous. She seemed to crave more drinks, as if they would make her forget her worries.

"Sunil Khan and his son are both very nice," Mary remarked, when the two of them were alone again, riding home to the palace in a long stretch limousine.

"Sunny is an old dear, and I've known him for ages. He gave me my first modeling job when I was barely older than you are now." Jane was quiet for a moment, and then she went off into giggles. "Can you imagine if any of those pictures turned up now?"

"Father would probably be upset," Mary said sensibly. "But you and Mr. Khan seem like very good friends."

"We're partners, too. Or at least we will be, if your father approves the deal." Jane yawned and lay back in her seat. "I wish everyone was like Sunny and his son. But they aren't. There are a lot of creepy characters in this world, and they can really hurt you if you don't look out!"

"I know." Mary suspected the creepy characters Jane was talking about weren't just in her past. She had a feeling that she could get her beautiful stepmother in a lot of trouble just by asking about what she'd seen in the hallway. Instead she nestled down so that her head was resting on Queen Jane's fur-clad shoulder.


	4. Circling Sharks

_Chapter Four: Circling Sharks_

"Your father can't stand the dreary Bishop of Winchester," Queen Jane explained the next morning, as she was putting on her lipstick in her private apartments. "But the cathedral repairs cost a lot of money and the royal family deserves the bishop's thanks. You and I will shake hands and smile for the cameras for half an hour or so, and that will show the public that the king supports religion and the church." Jane made a funny face, and Mary couldn't help smiling back at her beautiful young stepmother.

"I guess we should both try to stay out of trouble for a while."

"Why, darling, what on earth do you mean?" Jane motioned for Mary to step closer and began carefully rechecking her stepdaughter's makeup.

"Well, yesterday at the spa, when I woke up from my nap . . . you seemed to be having a bit of trouble." Mary pressed her lips shut, hating the sticky feeling of the queen's glossy and expensive lipstick. "Was there someone bothering you out in the hall?"

"Hold still, please." Jane was frowning in concentration. "That was just a photographer I used to know in my modeling days, asking to borrow a bit of money. I felt sorry for him, really. Darling, why do you slouch when you have such a lovely figure? That's better."

Mary stood up straight and looked at herself in the mirror, her expression a bit dazed. She hardly recognized the sophisticated young woman with the dramatic coloring and crimson lips.

"Utterly transformed," Queen Jane said proudly.

"Huh!" Mary didn't want to be transformed. She wanted to go on being herself. And she wanted to know a lot more about the fashion photographer who had been pestering her stepmother. But just then the queen's secretary announced it was time to go.

The ceremonies at Winchester Cathedral turned out to be quite a circus, with flocks of reporters and cameras flashing and huge crowds of people waving and cheering and everyone jostling each other and shouting for just one picture, please, just one more!

"Steady, darling," Queen Jane said, smiling brightly for the cameras while at the same time quickly and supportively slipping her arm around Mary's waist. "Just keep on waving, my love, that's the way. And for heaven's sake don't frown!"

"Sorry." Mary smiled, trying to be grown up and imitate the queen. But the crowd was so noisy and the cameras kept popping and flashing everywhere she turned, making her ears ring and eyes sting and giving her a beastly headache. The only way she could get through it all was to lean on her stepmother for support. Jane really was marvelous in front of the cameras. And she was very experienced at dealing with crowds, laughing and joking one moment and then vanishing into the cool darkness of the cathedral.

"That's better," said the slim, golden-haired queen, guiding her stepdaughter to the tall royal seats at the front of the church.

"You were wonderful," Mary whispered, seating herself by the queen's side. The two of them had a private pew, secluded from prying eyes at the back of the church. It was medieval and royal and a world away from the cameras and the crowds.

"Was I? It's all in a day's work, darling." Jane patted her hand. "You'll get the hang of things in time. You're a very clever girl, Mary. Your father is counting on you."

"I know." Mary was feeling very thoughtful as the bishop began his sermon. She had to live up to Jane's example. But there were still nagging doubts in her mind. In front of a crowd, Jane was fearless and in control, yet yesterday in the shadowy spa basement she had been powerless in the grip of the mysterious intruder. Who was he? Was he really just a fashion photographer out of work? While the bishop droned on, Mary closed her eyes, picturing the frantic and hungry-looking men outside the church. Hungry for scandal, hungry for a story that would make them rich, even if it meant the ruin of someone like her sweet stepmother. Really they were just like sharks, always circling . . . circling . . .

"And so, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, amen."

"Amen!" Mary suddenly jerked herself upright, coming awake just in time to murmur her response with the rest of the congregation. Humiliated and confused, she glanced around the church, yet thankfully no-one seemed to notice that she'd been asleep.

Queen Jane was gazing up at the bishop with a look of gratitude, as though his sermon had quenched a deep spiritual thirst. She looked almost like a saint in a religious painting. But the moment she caught Mary's eye she dropped the pious mask of worship, and gave her stepdaughter a very private wink and a smile.

"I don't know about you, but I'm dying for another day at the spa!"


	5. Let's Split Up

_Chapter Five: Let's Split Up_

"Darling, you were sensational!" Queen Jane was all smiles as she tossed the morning tabloids onto her stepdaughter's bed. "Just look at the two of us on the front page. You look so grown up and glamorous in those pearls and that blue sheath dress. A rather brilliant makeover, if I do say so myself."

"Great," Mary mumbled, fighting the urge to turn over in bed and go right back to sleep. She didn't feel like facing photographers and smiling through another hectic day of crowds and commotion. But if she buried her head in the pillow and slept through the morning, Jane might not take her shopping in the afternoon. Though it wasn't really the shopping Mary was looking forward to so much as a chance to get another look at that luxurious spa . . . and possibly learn more about her stepmother's mysterious past.

"Well, don't just lie there, silly! It's time to get up and get going." Jane wasn't as stern as Mary's mother Katherine, who had made her royal daughter start every day with an ice-cold shower and two hours of silent prayer and religious study before breakfast. But in her teasing, playful way Jane could be just as demanding. She poked and prodded till her sleepy stepdaughter finally stirred.

"You're already dressed." Mary sat up stretching and yawning, a bit embarrassed by her thick tangled hair and rumpled white bed gown. Her stomach growled, as though clamoring for breakfast.

"Yes, and you should be too," Jane replied, putting on a pouting, disapproving look that was only partly a joke. "The king warned me that you can be very stubborn about resisting change, Mary."

"Well, I'm not much good at resisting you!" Mary was feeling awkward and self-conscious as a middle-aged maid brought in her breakfast on a silver tray. Jane was sweet and good, the best friend she'd ever had. Mary had lost her mother so long ago, and shut her feelings out. Now Jane had opened her heart to new feelings. But still, those new feelings hurt. Expressing her feelings was never easy for the shy, lonely princess.

"It must be hard, letting go of a mother you loved so deeply." Jane's quiet words were accompanied by an unusually serious look. Her blue eyes seemed to see right into Mary's heart.

"I miss her," Mary said, her eyes filling. "I don't want to forget her. But you've been so kind, and . . . maybe I'm just weak!"

"You're a remarkable girl, Mary. A strong, brave, _loyal_ girl. Now eat your breakfast. We'll be late for the children's hospital!"

Mary couldn't understand how Jane did it. All morning long, the long-legged blonde with the winning smile and the sensational figure was on the go, charming journalists and dignitaries and common citizens with equal ease. One minute she was kissing a crippled child and the next she was laughing with nurses and reporters over some silly celebrity gossip. Her bright-eyed, energetic appeal was obvious from the moment they stepped out of the limousine till the last tiny patient was waving goodbye.

"Well, that's enough goodness for one morning, don't you think?" Jane never showed any sign of fatigue in public. But when they were finally alone together, relaxing in the long stretch limousine and hidden from view by the tinted windows, Mary noticed the way her poised and perfect stepmother almost seemed to roll her eyes at the exhausting demands of her public role. "The children are so sweet, but the cameras and the press and all that noise . . . what a zoo!" Carefree Jane laughed as she sank back in her cushioned seat, resting her feet on a carpeted footrest.

"Are we going to the spa now?" Mary yawned and put her feet up just like Jane. She had been planning to snoop around more and find out about carefree Jane's mysterious past. But all she could think about now was getting out of her high heels.

"Of course, darling," Jane replied, sounding a bit distracted. She was texting someone on her device, her lovely features rather pale. "Tell you what, let's split up for a bit. You have a massage and a rest and I'll join you later."

"But I thought . . ." Mary's face wore a look of stunned disbelief as the long limousine let her out in front of the lush spa. Her stepmother smiled and waved and then she was gone!


	6. Mary's Workout

_Chapter Six: Mary's Workout_

"I know she's in trouble," Mary said, frowning. She threw another fierce punch at the Thai pad held by the young trainer, a look of determination coming into her face. "I just know it!"

"Is that why you were crying just now?" Jamil Khan never dreamed he'd be talking to a member of England's royal family in such intimate surroundings. When he walked into the exercise room at the spa, he'd merely expected to work out. Instead he found himself blocking kicks and punches thrown by an angry girl. "Why do you care so much what happens to Queen Jane? She is only your stepmother, and you have known her for how long?"

"I haven't known her long, maybe a year." Mary lowered her guard, tired and out of breath after her workout. "Jane isn't like that other woman . . . I mean, the woman my father was married to before. She's not selfish. She cares about more than clothes and being photographed and having my father buy her presents."

"She cares about you," Jamil said quietly. He put down the heavy pads he'd been using to block the princess' punches and kicks.

Mary nodded. "You and your father, you know all about Jane, don't you? You knew her before she met the king." The young princess looked the handsome boy in the eye. "Do you know where she went this afternoon?"

"I don't know anything," Jamil Khan muttered. It was always the same. He was rich, he was smart, but at the end of the day he was a boy with a brown skin that the English felt they could use, either as a punching bag or a source of gossip. The beautiful and courageous princess with the lovely pale skin and womanly well-rounded figure was no different from the rest.

"But your father trusts you with everything, doesn't he? You're his number one assistant, that's what he said the other day." Mary frowned just as her royal father might have done.

"Yes, my father trusts me." Jamil Khan's soft voice was sharper than usual. Then he looked away as though ashamed. "You should go now, Princess Mary. I have to put away the equipment."

Mary was angry, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for Jamil Khan. He worked so hard for his father, and he did jobs only a servant would have done in her father's palace. Maybe that was just the way of his people. But she didn't understand why he didn't want to help her. Was he afraid of getting into trouble? Or did he just hate her for being a member of the royal family? She was still trying to puzzle it all out when her stepmother's limousine pulled up in front of the expensive spa.

"Well, don't just stand there, silly girl! Get in!" Queen Jane was only teasing, but the king's young and beautiful new wife was looking very cheerful after her mysterious errand. The time away seemed to have lifted some sort of burden from her shoulders.

"You had a good time," Mary said, looking up at her stepmother as the two of them were driving home together.

"I had a lovely time," Jane replied, looking very prim and cool and leaning back against the soft cushions inside the luxury limousine.

"But it was something you don't want father to know about?" Mary blushed, and squirmed on the deep, soft cushions. "I won't tell, I promise! I remember how you helped me when I had too much to drink and was almost sick in the royal gardens."

"You look as though you're ready to be sick right now." Jane laughed and then after a moment she grew serious, placing her cool white hand firmly on her step-daughter's burning cheek. "Mary, my love, I am your stepmother. I am here to protect you and care for you. It is not your job to protect me."

"Yes, Mum. It's just that you've been so kind to me and I . . ." Mary saw from the look in her stepmother's eyes that she was not to pry any further. Anger surged in her, but it was quickly drowned by a feeling of exhaustion and a trace of guilt. What right did a girl like her have to meddle in the queen's private business? Mary was still learning to be a royal, struggling to mind her manners and look and act the part in public. But Jane was good at it. She was always perfect in whatever she did. Mary on the other hand felt that she was always making a mess of things. And all at once she found herself fighting to hold back tears.

"There, there, my love." Queen Jane slid an arm around her stepdaughter's shoulder. "It's easy to feel blue about the world when you're tired. And you're not the only one who's ready to crash." Jane yawned, sounding sleepy in the darkened limousine. "It's been a busy day for both of us. Did you enjoy your workout?"

"Mm." Mary didn't want to talk about Jamil Khan. Leaning her head on Jane's shoulder, she gazed out at the rainy night, watching the heavy drops splash and splatter against the windows. Little by little her eyes grew heavy too, until at last she closed them with a sigh and slept. The queen and her stepdaughter were both sleeping soundly when the posh royal limousine turned off the highway and onto a rarely used side road.


End file.
